Urban Planner and Designer – Intern (International)

Interns are provided the opportunity to be equal members and are offered a good mix of support work and meaningful work experience.

Interns that are not receiving funding through an internship programme external to UNOPS, or from a specific institution, are entitled to receive from UNOPS a monthly stipend designed to contribute to the cost of daily expenditures.

The Urban Planner / Designer Intern will work under the direct supervision of the UNOPS Project Manager. She/he will contribute to the Cities 4 Women project, by performing the following tasks:

• Do desk research, field surveys, and organization of expert consultations to prepare urban profiles and other knowledge products; 

• Prepare maps, charts, and reports and support the analysis;

• Documents inspiring practices on public open spaces and relevant project benchmarks; 

• Reports on meetings, panel sessions, conferences, etc.;

• Assists inorganizing and  conducting stakeholder and public consultations, and urban design workshops related to the project; 

• Support in project development, formulation, writing and publishing related to urban issues, especially on participatory planning process, participatory design of public open spaces, etc. 

• Undertake other activities that would support the work of the project including communications and knowledge management. 

Continuous interaction with colleagues, exchange of information, seeking cooperation, resolving routine administrative and process problems, referring complex issues to supervisor with recommendations for the course of action.

 Training components and learning elements

• Project Management

• Evidence-Based Infrastructure Planning

• Geographic Information Systems Mapping (GIS)

Participation in missions or training courses In addition to accessing UNOPS online training courses and tools, the Intern is encouraged to attend and participate at learning events organized by UNOPS and other UN agencies in Kathmandu, especially on gender issues, public open spaces, etc.   

• Should be enrolled in a university program such as Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) in architecture or urban planning and design. Candidates who have graduated from a University programme within the last 3 years by the date of the application, will also be considered. 

• A focus on urban planning and the the design of public open spaces is highly desirable.

Language Skills

•    Fluency in English is required.    

Computer Literacy

• MS Office, Database, GIS, Adobe Suite, Design Rendering Software (Autocad, Revit, Sketchup); 

• GIS software(ESRI or similar) is an advantage;

• Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and others. 

Internship-related experiences

The internship is for 12 months with no possibility of extension and will provide opportunities for exposure to urban planning and design of secondary cities in Nepal, evidence-based infrastructure planning, project identification, and sustainability.  
Additional requirements

Priority would have students with experience in organizing and/or participating in architecture and urban planning and design competitions, as well as those who have published written works on cities in journals, online platforms, etc.